Air cleaner



June 3, 1930. H. G. *kAMRATH 1,761,923

A I R CLEANER Filed Aug. 5, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 3, 1930.

H. e. KAMRATH 1,761,923

AIR CLEANER Filed Aug. 3, 1927 2 Sheets-Sheet, 2

Patented June 3, 1930 f UNITED STATES PATIENT OFFIC HERBERT G. KAMRATH, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN. ASSIGNOR TO A. C SPARK PLUG GOM- PANY, OF FLINT, MICHIGAN; A JOMPANY OF MICHIGAN AIR CLEANER Application filed August 8, 1927. Serial No. 210,425.

This invention relates to air cleanersof the type employed on internal combustlon en ines to clean the air supplied to the cylin ers.

s It is an object of the present invention to provide an air cleaner which retalns all the advantages of previous constructlons but which is simpler in constructlon and 1s composed of a minimum number of parts. One

of the features of my invention resides in providing a two part cleaner and connecting it to the carburetor inlet pipe in such a way that the inlet pipe functions as a part ofthe cleaner.

Other objects of the invention Wlll appear in the course of the following descnptron, taken in connection with the accompanylng drawing and a pended claims.

. In the drawing:

Fi-gure 1 is a side elevation, w1t h parts broken away and in sect1on, showing one form of my air cleaner connected wlth the intake conduit ofa carburetor.

Figure 2 is an end view of the air cleaner shown in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary bottom view of the structure shown in Figure 1, with parts broken away to show the connection between the cleaner and the air intake conduit of the carburetor.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is aside elevation of a modified form of my invention.

Figure 6 is an end view of the air cleaner shown in Figure 5 taken in the direction 1ndicated by the line 6-6 of Flgure 5.

Referring particularly to Figures 1 to 4 of the drawing, the numeral 10 indlcates the .air intake conduit of a carburetor 12 and the numeral 14 the riser leadin from the carburetor to the intake mamfold of an internal combustion engine.

The reference character 15 indicates my improved air cleaner which consists of two parts, a body or housing 18 which is substantially frusto-conical in shape and a vane plate or cover 20. The smaller end of the body 18 is extruded to form a neck 21 wluch is'then slotted longitudinally. The portlons of the neck on opposite sides of the longitudlnal slot are partially severed from the main portion thereof as indicated at 22 and then bent outwardly to provide two parallel ears 24. In the side wall of the body, adjacent its smaller end there is provided a taggentially arranged dirt discharge openmg 8.

On the larger end of the body 18, there is provided an outwardly extending flange 30 over which the outer edges of the vane plate 20 are crimped as indicated at 32 to secure the vane plate to the body. Between its circumference and its center the vane plate 20 is provided with a series of inwardly directed vanes 34 and adjacent openings 35.

The air cleaner 15 is adapted, as shown in the drawing, to be secured to the carburetor 12, with the collar 21 surrounding the intake conduit 10 and abutting at its outer end against an annular flange or collar 16 provi ed on the carburetor adjacent the inner end of the intake conduit, by means of a bolt 26 which extends through perforations in the cars 24 and clamps the collar tightly around the conduit 10 It will be noted that when the carburetor and the air cleaner are assembled as described above the intake conduit 10 extends into the interior of the body of the air cleaner some distance beyond the inner end of the dirt discharge opening 28.

The air cleaner heretofore described operates as follows:

When the engine is operating the suction produced in the cylinders thereof causes air to be drawn into the body of the air cleaner through the openings 35 in the vane plate 20. As the air enters the body of the cleaner through the openings 35 it impinges 90 against the vanes 34 which impart to it a rotary motion. The centrifugal 'force of this whirling current of air which is augmented, as the air travels from the inlet to the discharge end of the cleaner, due to the 95 shape of the body,'causes the foreign matter therein to be thrown to the outside of the current and against the inner walls of the body. The outer dportion of the whirling currentof air an the particles of for 100 eign matter carried thereby pass into the annular space between the air intake conduit 10 and the walls of the body whence the foreign matter therein and a portion of ence character 48 indicates an air'cleaner' which consists of a cup-shaped body portion 58 and a vane plate 56. Adjacent the closed end of the body portion there is provided a tangential dust dischar e opening 62, and

1 the openings in the vane plate it impinges on the open end thereo an outwardly projecting circumferential flange 60. The vane plate 56 is similar to the vane plate 20, (see Figs 1 to 4) except that there is provided in the central portion of the vane plate 56 an air discharge opening surrounded by an outwardly pro ecting neck 54, on which is provided means similar to those provided on the neck 21 (see Figs. 1 to 4) for securing the air cleaner to the airintake conduit 50 of a carburetor, and has its circumferential edge portions crimped over the outwardly. projecting flange on theopen end of the body portion 58 as indicated at "61.

The air cleaner shown in Figs. 5 and 6 is' adapted to be secured to the air intake conduit of a carburetor bymeans of a bolt 52,

as shown in the drawin During operation of the enginethe suction produced in the engine cyllnders causes air to be drawn into the body portion of the air cleaner throu'glh t e the openings in thevane plate 56. As air enters the body of the cleaner through against the vanes which impart to it a rotary motion. The whirling column of air passes to the closed end of the body portion of the air cleaner, whence, due to centrifugal force, the particles of dirt carried thereby are thrown out of the cleaner through the dust discharge opening 62. The air which is thus freed from foreign matter reverses its direction of flow and returnsto the oppo-.

site end of the air cleaner, whence it passes through the air discharge opening and air intake conduit of the carburetor into the carburetor and the engine cylinders.

Though I have shown and described .pre-

ferred embodiments of my invention, itisto be understood that this has-been done merely by way of example and not with the intention of limiting the scope of my, invention thereto, and that the scope of my in-.

vention is limited only by the appended claims:

I"claim 1. In an air cleaner, abody portion having therein air inlet and dischar e openings, I

a neck surrounding said air disc arge'opening-and formed integrally with and extending outwardly from the body portion, said which a bolt is adapted to extend to secure theair cleaner to'a conduit. i w 2. In an air cleaner, a body portion having therein air inlet and discharge openings means to cause the air within the interior 0 the body portion to travel in a helical path,

said air cleaner being adapted to' be detachably connected to an air intake condliit,

which, when it isconnected to the air cleaner, extends into the interior of the body portionthrough the air discharge. opening therein and is spaced within the interior of the body portion from the side walls thereof so as to provide within the interior of the body portion a dust trap, and a dirt discharge opening in the body portion adjacent I the conduit."

3. In'an air cleaner, a body portion having therein air inlet and air discharge openings,"means to cause the air within the interior of the body portion to travel in a helical path, said air cleaner being ada ted to be connected to an air intake con uit,

which forms apart of a device to be' supplied with air, which, when it is connected tothe air cleaner, extends into the interior of the body portion through the air discharge opening therein and isspaced within t e interior of-the'body portion' from the side walls thereof so as to provid 'within' theinterior of the body portion dust trap,

and'a dirt discharge. opening in the body portion between the outer end of the conduit,

and the air discharge opening. 4. In an air cleaner, abody portion hav ing thereinfair intake and fair discharge": 4 openings,; a neck surrounding the air discharge opening *and extending outwardly" from the body portion, said air cleaner being adapted to'be connected'to an air intakeconduit,. which forms a part of a suctionoperated carburetor, which,.when it is connected to the: air cleaner, extendsthrough the neck into the'interior of the body portion thereof and is s aced within the interior of the body portlon from theside wallsf thereof so as to provide withinth'e interior of the body portion an annular dust trap,

means to causethe air within the interior of the body portion to travel in a helical path from the air intake opening to thev air dischargeopening, and a dirt discharge opening adjacent the outer end of the air intake conduit.

5. In an air cleaner, a cup-shaped body portion having-in one end thereof an air discharge opening, a neck surrounding the air discharge opening and extending outneck being slotted so as to form thereon a ears, and perforations in said ears through wardly from the body portion, said air cleaner being adapted to be detachably consecured over the open intake end of the ody charge opening in the b0 nected to an air intake conduit which forms a part of a suction-operated carburetor, which, when it is connected to the air cleaner, extends through the neck: and therebeyond into the interior of the body portion of the air cleaner and is spaced within the interior of the body portion from the side walls thereof so as to provide within the body portion a dust trap, means on the neck detachably to secure the air cleanerto theconduit, means including a vane late portion to cause the air passing throu h the interior of the body portion to travel in a helical path from the an intake end to the air discharge end thereof, and a tangential dirt discharge opening in the side wall of the body portion opposite the outer end of the air mtake condult.

9. The structure defined in. claim 7 in which the dust. discharge passage of said shell is formed in an outwardly pressed portion of the shell leadin thereto.

In testimony whereo I aflix my signature.

HERBERT G. KAMRATH,

6,,In an air cleaner, a frusto-conoidalshaped body portion, in the smaller end of which is provided an air discharge opening and adjacent the larger end of which 1s provided an air intake opening, means to cause the air passing through the interior of the body portion from the air intake opening to the air discharge opening to travel in a helical path, said air cleaner being adapted to be connected to .an air intake conduit,

which, when it is connected to the air clean er, extends into the interior of the body portion through the air discharge opening therein and is spaced within the interior of the body portion from the side walls thereof so as to provide within the interior of the body portion a dust trap, and a dirt disyportion adjacent the conduit.

7.- An air cleaner in the form of a shell contracted at one end to fit around the intake tube of a carburetor with a portion of said intake tube projecting into said shell to form an annular dust chamber, said shell at its opposite end having means for setting up a whirling motion of the air drawn into said shell, and said shell adjacent its contracted end having a peripheral dust discharge passa e.

8. An air Seaner comprising a truncated conical shell provided at its smaller end 7 with a contracted annular flange adapting it.to be telescoped onto the air intake tube 

